


I Got You

by dumpsterdiva



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure!Lance, Light Angst, M/M, Pining!Keith, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, honestly, i cant write anyone hurting without incredible amounts of fluff to make up for it, i shouldve put more allura but this fic is so long as it is help, so have some, so many compliments for lance, theres lots of coran in here also just so you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 09:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9379301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumpsterdiva/pseuds/dumpsterdiva
Summary: What do you do when you’re an overemotional kind-of-smol teen who likes engaging physical and emotional fisticuffs BUT NOW your crush is feeling insecure because of you??? Compliment him until he sUBMITS. THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM MY LOVE.Lance is a self-sacrificing idiot and Keith is #done and frankly so am I





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to my dearest [@purplepizzaandjam](http://purplepizzaandjam.tumblr.com) <3 She asked me for an angsty Lance-centered Klance fic where Keith confronts Lance about sacrificing himself all the goddamn time OR where Keith is sweet to Lance for no reason.
> 
> So obviously I wrote both in one fic. I based it off [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUUGJD-JjGA), which is such a fucking jam let me tell you like HOT DIGGITY DOG. And it’s so Klancy (but then again I make everything about Klance so like…) Pls listen to it while reading it if you want the ~full experience~
> 
> Hope you have the best birthday ever!

“Lance, Hunk, hold us steady. We’re going to need all the stability we can get.”

Tightening his hands on controls, Lance muttered through gritted teeth, “Got it, chief.”

Activating his bayard, Hunk shouted, “Ready whenever you are.”

Nodding, Shiro said, “Alright, preparing shoulder cannon. You all know the plan?”

“For the hundredth time Shiro, we know already. Lure Galra forces out here, destroy at least half the fleet, and then get in there and free the prisoners. Easy peasy,” Pidge said flippantly as she crushed another Galra ship in the palm of Green’s hand.

At that moment, Allura piped in over the comms, “Remember, be careful with that shoulder cannon and try not to damage too much of the base’s infrastructure. We don’t want it collapsing on the poor Rookalurj people before we can get in there.”

“Don’t worry, princess. We’ve got it under control. Just like how you’ve got me under yours,” Lance said with a grin.

Groaning, Keith said, “Now is _so_ not the time, Lance. Keep it in your pants for five goddamn minutes.”

“I’ll keep you in my pants!” Lance yelled instinctively, but realized his mistake as soon as the words left him. Slapping a hand over his mouth, Lance squeaked and stammered, “I mean…”

“Uh…” was all Keith could manage to say in response as a fierce blush creeped up his neck. He was suddenly grateful that Shiro had turned off their video feeds so they could concentrate on the battle at hand.

There was deafening radio silence for a moment before Hunk rolled his eyes and said, “Anyways… Putting Lance’s sorry excuse for flirting aside, can I use my cannon now?”

Shaken out of his embarrassment, Lance started shouting incomprehensibly at Hunk and Shiro sighed in defeat. “Fire when ready, Hunk.”

“Finally.”

* * *

 

“Keith, how you doing over there?” Allura asked over the comms.

“I think this is the last of them from my end,” Keith said as he ushered families of Rookalurj into his lion. “How’s the situation looking outside?”

Allura tapped her fingers against the screen and scanned the area for any signs of the Galra. “Well, Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro seem to be holding their own against the fleet outside, thanks to your earlier efforts. Lance should be coming up soon from the western corridor with more prisoners. I don’t see any foot soldiers so they should be fine on their own if you want to join the fight outside.”

“Roger that. Thanks, Allura,” Keith said as he stepped onto the walkway up to his lion. He was about to close the door behind him when a nagging feeling in his stomach made him pause. Turning to look to the tunnel to his right, he strained his eyes searching for Lance. Usually there was nothing that could stop him from joining an aerial fight and kicking Galra ass, but today, he realized with some embarrassment, he just really wanted to see Lance’s face.

When he heard footsteps echoing through the chamber, Keith was on high alert as he watched Lance emerge from the tunnel, Rookalurj civilians in tow.

As they entered into the light, Lance saw Keith waiting for them and beamed. “What’s the hold up, samurai? Miss me?”

Keith reddened and was about to retort, but the relief that washed over him at seeing Lance safe and sound as he brought the Rookalurj to his lions was undeniable. It brought a certain warmth and energy to his aching muscles. Words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them, Keith smiled back and said, “Yeah, I did.”

Lance started and Keith immediately backpedaled back into Red. _And to think I made fun of Lance earlier about having terrible timing. Stupid,_ Keith thought to himself as he turned to hide his flushed face.

“Keith, wait…” Lance said in voice so uncertain that Keith’s curiosity finally outweighed his embarrassment enough to make him turn to face Lance again. Lance’s entire face twitched and it seemed like he was about to say more when suddenly the comms came to life with heavy static and Hunk yelling, “LOOK OUT YOU TWO!”

Keith looked up just in time to see a Galra ship ram into the top of the cave’s entrance. Darkness engulfed them as the ship crashed into the ground, blocking their way out.

Bracing himself against Red, Keith shouted, “Lance, get in your lion! We have to get out of here!”

Not faltering for a second, Lance quickly scrambled to get the rest of the small avian aliens into Blue while he protected them from falling debris with his shield. Keith turned and sprinted up the walkway, closing the hatch behind him. Ignoring the anxious chatter and fluttering from the Rookalurj, Keith strapped himself into his seat and took a hold of the controls.

“Lance, how’s it coming? You in your lion yet?” Keith asked as he craned his neck to look for the blue Paladin.

“We’re almost there. You go on first. I’ll be right behind you,” Lance yelled over the sound of rocks smashing into the ground around him.

Keith scoffed. “Like hell I’m leaving you behind. Just hurry your ass up.” He heard Lance chuckle lightly over the comms.

“Will do buddy. No need to be so— SHIT.” Their connection cut off abruptly and Keith nearly choked himself attempting to jump up to see what was happening.

“Lance?! What’s going on? Lance, come in. Answer me, dammit,” Keith called angrily as he unbuckled himself from his chair and looked for where Lance was amidst the chaos.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw Lance jumping on top of two Rookalurj children to shield them from a falling boulder.

“LANCE!” Keith screamed helplessly, banging against the window. Lance must have heard him through the comms because for a brief moment they made eye contact. Keith felt his eyes water as Lance shot him an apologetic look before his vision was obscured by more falling debris.

Keith felt his body grow numb as a strangled scream ripped through the darkness.

Shaken out of his frozen state, Keith hurriedly ran towards the hatch and jumped through it before it was even fully open. Bayard and shield at the ready, Keith sprinted at full force towards Lance with nothing fueling him but pure adrenaline. He wouldn’t remember the way he dodged countless crumbling pieces of the cavern or how he sliced through a falling stalactite. All he could focus on was the memory of Lance’s crumpled figure and that final remorseful smile.

_Please let him be okay._

Squinting into the dark, Keith could see the flickering blue of Lance’s shield and underneath it the limp figure of his body still protecting the two children, feathers ruffled out fearfully.

The brief reassurance of seeing Lance still intact was replaced with immediate panic when Keith saw the reason he and the children weren’t completely flattened. Lance’s shield was only able to partially deflect the boulder, so it had rolled off the shield and crushed Lance’s legs beneath it.

“Lance?!” Keith asked, voice breaking as he crouched down beside his fellow paladin. “Can you hear me?” Hearing a small groan in response was good enough for Keith. _Thank quiznak, he’s still conscious._ “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out of here. Just stay with me.” Assessing the boulder, Keith tried to lift it off Lance’s legs but to no avail. He winced, coming to the slow realization he was going to have to roll it off.

Maybe it would’ve been better if Lance was unconscious.

Leaning down to press a hand to Lance’s face, Keith said gently, “Lance, this is going to hurt but I’m going to try to get it over with as soon as I possibly can, alright? Hang on buddy. We’re going to get out of this.” There was no response this time, causing Keith to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. It was going to be okay. It had to be.

Digging his feet into the ground, Keith steadied his hands against the boulder and counted to three before pushing with all his strength. Trying to ignore the pained screams behind him, he continued to push, each shift causing more agonized sobs. Keith squeezed his eyes until he saw stars, desperately forcing himself not to turn around to hold Lance tight and comfort him.

Repeatedly muttering, “I’m so sorry,” more to himself than to Lance, Keith felt his muscles ache in protest as he heaved one final push so the boulder rolled onto its other side.

Averting his eyes from the bloody mess that was Lance’s legs, Keith tentatively scooped Lance into his arms, shushing Lance’s quiet whimpering and nuzzling his face into Lance’s hair.

Letting his lips brush against Lance’s forehead, Keith whispered, “I got you. You’re going to be okay.” In response, Lance’s arms squeezed tighter around the Rookalurj chicks, who had probably been suffocated during Keith’s efforts, but they didn’t seem to mind much. Their concerned peeps lifted Keith’s spirits slightly, but they still had a long road ahead of them.

Thankfully, the intense shaking had stopped so they were relatively safe for now, but Keith was still on edge. Moving as quickly as he could without jostling Lance too much, he made his way inside Blue’s control center, past some alarmed Rookalurj. As Blue beeped to life, Keith laid Lance down on the cool floor, unsure of what to do next. The Rookalurj chicks wiggled themselves out of Lance’s grip and ran to their mothers who looked onto Keith and Lance with grateful, teary eyes. Keith gave a strained smile in return, wishing Lance could see the happiness he had brought to this family at his own expense.

 _I’ll tell him all about it when we get home_ , Keith thought.

_Yes, you will._

Startled, Keith whirled his head around to see who had spoken, but the Rookalurj didn’t seem to notice his confusion.

_Red Paladin, do not be afraid. We have always had a connection. Do you not recognize my voice?_

“Blue?” Keith asked aloud.

_Correct. Do not worry about my paladin. As long as he is here and retains some consciousness, I will manage to pilot us out of here. Return to your lion. Your mate will be safe with me._

Heat creeping up his neck, Keith squeaked, “He’s not my mate.”

Something resembling a deep laugh echoed in his head as Blue said, _Ah, my mistake. But please, go. Lance’s heartrate is dropping. Any more delay and he will be in serious danger._

Biting his lip, Keith looked down at Lance and said, “Take care of him. Please.”

_Of course._

After that Keith moved on autopilot. From strapping himself into Red and using its flame thrower to free them to giving the incredibly worried Team Voltron a brief recap as Coran gently placed Lance in a healing pod, Keith was all instinct and zero hesitation.

It was only when everyone else left to hit the showers that Keith’s vision started to clear and his mind slowed. And it was only under the harsh, bright lights of the healing chamber that allowed him to see for the first time how truly beaten and bloody Lance was that Keith finally let himself break down in tears.

* * *

 

“He hasn’t left in ages. Shouldn’t we do something?” Pidge whispered.

Hunk sighed and whispered back, “This is even worse than the time Lance nearly got blown up saving Coran in the control room.”

“Or the time he was captured by the Galra on Bivax.”

“Or the time he got trapped in the Tafalkian mines.”

“Or the time…”

“What are you two doing?”

Hunk and Pidge flinched simultaneously and turned to see Allura and Shiro similarly posed behind them, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

Hunk gestured to Keith, anxiously pacing in the healing chamber, “We’re trying to figure out what to do with _that_.”

Shiro looked to where he was pointing and his eyes softened with concern. “You mean the lovesick mess who hasn’t showered in three days? Yeah, us too.”

Hunk crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, “I mean it’s not like I don’t understand where he’s coming from. I’m worried about Lance, too. Not just from his latest self-sacrificing escapade, but the fact that the amount of times he’s willingly jumped into oncoming danger to save someone else is slowly overtaking the amount of times I puked during Garrison training, which is _not_ an easy number to beat.” Pursing his lips, Hunk continued, “Still, there’s nothing we can do until Lance actually wakes up and until then Keith needs to take care of himself.”

Crouching down into a squat, Allura perched her chin on Pidge’s shoulder and furrowed her brow. “Honestly, I haven’t the foggiest idea what we can do or say to get him to at least let one of us take over for him for a few hours so he can get some rest. Has he even slept? Or eaten?”

Pidge shook her head. “Not that we’ve seen.”

Hunk piped in with, “I think I saw him go to the bathroom once.”

Shiro sighed. “Well, that’s not very reassuring. Anyone have any ideas?”

“I do!” a chipper voice chimed in behind them. Coran pushed his way past the crowd that had formed outside the healing chamber and winked conspiratorially. “I’ve seen my fair share of soldiers fretting over their lovers who’ve fallen in battle. Let the old man take care of this one.”

Exchanging amused looks with Coran’s casual “lovers” remark, the team let him slide by them and walk into the healing chamber, closing the door behind him.

“I guess it’s up to the big man now, huh?” Pidge said as she nudged Allura’s head off her shoulder and stood up to stretch.

Pouting, Hunk replied, “Hey, I thought I was the big man.”

With a chuckle, Shiro ruffled Hunk’s hair and said, “You still are. C’mon, let’s give them some space. You were going to teach me how to make soba noodles out of the ariowe flour we got, remember?”

Brightening significantly, Hunk spared one final concerned glance into the healing chamber before following the rest of the team.

* * *

 

“Mind if I join you?”

Keith stopped his pacing for a moment to see who his visitor was. Seeing Coran walking towards him, he smiled wryly and mumbled, “Sure.”

Coran sat on the steps and gestured for Keith to join him. Keith hesitated for a moment before taking a seat and curling his legs towards his chest.

Fiddling with his mustache, Coran said, “You know on the night Sendak attacked the ship, Lance and I met together almost exactly like this. I had expected to leave that room with Lance in a better state of mind than when he entered, but well, I never would have guessed that he would shield me during the explosion just like he did for those Rookalurj children.”

Burying his face into his knees, Keith muttered, “I _know_ , Coran. You’ve said it before.”

Unfazed, Coran continued, “Oh really, did I? I just thought it was worth mentioning given the fact that I’m probably one of the only people on this ship who understands why you’re so reluctant to leave his side.” Keith raised his head slightly at that and Coran smiled. “You feel guilty for not noticing such obvious signs or not being there when he needed you most. You’re upset that his first instinct was to protect others, not himself, but you’re proud of him for being the strong and brave person that you know him to be, but that he doesn’t admit to being. But most of all, you’re angry at yourself for not being able to do more for him. Am I right?”

Keith shifted awkwardly and gave the barest of nods. “Maybe…”

“Well, that’s how I felt. I have to admit that I didn’t see Lance in the best of lights when you all first boarded the castle, but the more I saw his little acts of kindness and moments of vulnerability I realized there was more to him than meets the eye.” Giving the healing pod Lance was in a fond look, Coran said, “He’s really something, isn’t he?”

Frowning, Keith said, “He’s an idiot is what he is. Always throwing himself into dangerous situations without thinking first.”

Raising an eyebrow, Coran retorted, “And that’s different from you how? From my understanding, you weren’t exactly Mr. Cool-headed Logic either.”

Keith flinched before sighing and admitting, “Yeah, and that’s the problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“There were a hundred things I could’ve done, should’ve done, that would’ve prevented all of this… or at least made it less painful for Lance.” Coran gave Keith a quizzical look and he sighed again. “I should’ve stayed with him to help him make sure everyone was safe before going into my lion. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him, not even for a second. I’m supposed to have his back, Coran. We’re teammates. We’re partners. We’re…” Keith paused and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “But even after I realized what was happening, I should’ve used Red to shield Lance and the Rookalurj, but I just stood their useless and frozen. Or I should’ve used Red to move the boulder instead of running into harm’s way again. Now looking back on it, I was an idiot for not thinking of it before. My vision just went fuzzy and I couldn’t think straight. I was being selfish. All I could think about was making sure Lance was okay with my own two hands, not even considering what was best for him. It’s a miracle I came out of it unhurt given that I wasn’t paying attention to anything but Lance. I could’ve been knocked out too and then we’d both be trapped and Lance probably would’ve…” Keith put his head between his hands and groaned before mussing his hair furiously. Coran gingerly put his hands on top of Keith’s head to stop him.

“You can’t beat yourself up like this about what you could’ve or should’ve done. What matters is Lance is safe and he will make a full recovery. That’s thanks to you, Keith. It’s because you _were_ thinking about what was best for him,” Coran said as he pulled Keith back to make eye contact with him. “But now, if you ask me, holing yourself up in the healing chamber isn’t what’s best for anyone. You should take care of yourself so you can welcome Lance back with a smiling face. Seeing you all haggard like this would just make him worry, right?” Keith looked a bit hesitant so Coran just shrugged.  “Well, these might just be the ramblings of an old man past his prime but take my advice: Don’t dwell too much on the past when there’s so much to look forward to in your future.” As Coran stood up his eyes twinkled mischievously and he added, “And don’t spend so much time loving someone behind the scenes that you forget to love them when it matters most.”

“Coran!” Keith spluttered as he swatted at Coran’s leg, but the Altean merely chuckled as he walked away. He was about to open the door when Keith asked timidly, “Do you… could you stay and watch him for a little? I’m going to get something to eat.”

Coran smiled pleasantly and replied, “I’d like nothing more.”

Keith smiled back. “Thanks, Coran.”

Waving his hand dismissively, Coran said, “Bah don’t mention it. Oh and Keith? Take a shower while you’re at it.”

For the first time in 72 hours, Keith assessed himself and took a quick sniff of his shirt before wrinkling his nose. “Right… Probably a good idea.”

“You’d be surprised how many of those I have up my sleeve. Like how you probably shouldn’t fight Zarkon one-on-one,” Coran said nonchalantly while he dusted some imaginary lint off his sleeve, making Keith narrow his eyes with annoyance.

As he stepped out into the hallway, Keith grumbled, “He’s never gonna let that go.”

“Not on your life, Keith. Not on your life.”

* * *

 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Keith blearily blinked his eyes opened, momentarily disoriented, but the moment he realized where he was and what that beeping sound meant, he jumped to his feet.

Finally.

The healing pod slid open and as the mist filtered out, Keith felt his heart thudding in his chest. Lance looked better than before, but he was thinner and the healthy glow from his skin wasn’t present for once. In spite of all his troubles, a tiny smile crept up Keith’s face when he thought about how angry Lance would be that his skincare routine was interrupted again. Maybe it’d be another reason to add to the list of why he should stop taking every opportunity to sacrifice himself for someone else.

With a final beep, Lance was unceremoniously released from the pod and into Keith’s waiting arms. Wrapping his arms tighter around the other boy’s shoulders, Keith buried his face into Lance’s neck and took a deep breath. Lance didn’t smell like himself. There was no hint of lavender from his shampoo or the sweetness from the space-version of coconut oil he used religiously, but there was still the barest trace of freshness that reminded Keith of sunshine after a rainy day. It was a small comfort he didn’t know he'd missed.

A small groan startled Keith out of his thoughts and he backed off slightly so Lance’s face was in full view. Lance’s chest heaved with the effort of breathing on his own again and his hands gripped tightly onto the fabric of Keith’s shirt, making Keith’s heart catch in his throat.

Swallowing hard, his mind ran at full speed with all the things he wanted to tell Lance when he came to.

_Everyone’s so worried about you._

_The Rookalurj are so grateful for what you did._

_You don’t have to prove yourself to us. We know what you’re capable of._

_I’m sorry I didn’t do more._

_Why do you always rush headfirst into danger without any thought to yourself?_

_Blue talked to me and said that we have a connection, isn’t that crazy?_

_I was so scared._

_Did I mention that Blue called you my mate? Weird, right?_

_We’re a team. Let us protect you too._

_You are worth so much more than you know._

_I missed you so much._

_We don’t want to see you get hurt. It hurts us too._

_You’re more than the Blue Paladin. You’re our family._

_I love you._

Instead when Lance finally registered Keith through his hazy vision, smiling tenderly and letting out a weak, “Hey,” Keith blurted out the exact opposite of what he meant to say.

“What the hell were you thinking?!”

Stunned, Lance blinked a few times before frowning deeply and muttering a meek, “Sorry.” Every fiber in Keith’s body was screaming that he should apologize and start over but the words just wouldn’t stop.

“Why is your solution to everything always stupidly and unnecessarily putting yourself in danger instead?! How many times have we had to wonder if you’ll make it out of a mission alive? There are so many other ways you could’ve done this if you just thought it out a little bit or at least…” Keith trailed off when he saw hurt flash across in Lance’s eyes and he frantically tried to salvage the situation. “No, I mean. Lance, that’s not what I… What I’m trying to say is…”

Struggling out of Keith’s grasp, Lance said, “I get it, dude. I’m just deadweight around here. The damsel in distress. The Blue Lion goes to the shittiest and most useless of all the paladins.” Lance wobbled on his legs a little, but when Keith tried to catch him Lance only smacked his hand away. “I get it so just leave me alone.”

Trying again to hold Lance steady, Keith protested, “No, I won’t. Just let me explain. This wasn’t how I imagined this going.”

Pushing away from Keith one final time, a pained look flashed across Lance’s face before he smiled wryly. “Yeah, me neither.”

Keith felt his heart sink like a stone in his stomach. “Lance, please. I—“

“Lance!! The control room just alerted us that you wo—“ Hunk said joyfully as he bounded into the room, the rest of the team not far behind him. But at the sight of Keith and Lance’s expressions, he sobered up and slowly lowered his arms. “Oh I’m not interrupting, am I?”

Lance shook his head and leaned into Hunk. “Nope, not at all. Can you take me to my room? I need a nap and like twenty plates of nachos.”

Eyes flickering nervously between Keith and Lance, Hunk said with some resignation, “Yeah, you got it buddy.”

Keith’s mouth went dry as he watched Lance hobble out of the room with Hunk, the others not far behind them. Coran lingered for a moment to shoot Keith a sympathetic, but simultaneously disappointed look, though Keith staunchly ignored it in favor of storming to his own room.

Behind the safety of those four walls, Keith grabbed a pillow, put it over his face, and let himself rip a scream of frustration that had been building up for an entire week. Throwing the pillow onto the bed, he paced up and down the room muttering insults to himself interspersed with the occasional annoyed groan. He wasn’t sure how long he did this for, but when he finished his throat felt hoarse and he was out of breath. Panting heavily, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, remembering what Coran had said.

_Don’t spend so much time loving someone behind the scenes that you forget to love them when it matters most._

Opening his eyes again, Keith felt a surge of determination he didn’t know he had in him. Cracking his neck and sighing deeply, he walked out of the room ready to find Lance and do what he needed to do.

Keith was nothing if not stubborn.

* * *

 

“Just hear him out, Lance. He basically never left your side for a whole week. He’s been worried to death.”

Lance shot Pidge a withering look before rolling over onto his side. “Not you too. Like I told Hunk and Shiro, he was probably just guilty that I got hurt on his watch. There’s nothing more to it than that. So just leave me alone.”

Groaning into her hands, Pidge flopped over next to Lance and urged him to scoot over. When he didn’t she kicked him in the ribs and said, “Oh stop with your pity party already.”

“Ouch! Pidge! Recent patient here? Could you be a little gentler?”

Pidge rolled her eyes and retorted, “No, I can’t because you’re being a dumbass and you know it.” She paused, waiting for Lance to chime in but when he didn’t, she continued, “I’m sorry the love of your life said hurtful things to you. Really, it sucks. But you of all people know never to take what Keith says at face value. Look at his actions, Lance. They’ll tell you what you really need to know.” With that Pidge rolled off the bed and started to put her shoes on when a quiet murmuring from Lance caught her attention.

“I know he didn’t mean it but I can’t help that I’m the kind of guy who _likes_ pretty, comforting words. It’s who I am. So sue me if I need a little reassurance now and then, especially from him.”

Pidge’s expression softened and she patted Lance’s head affectionately. “Yeah, take your time. Just remember what I said.”

“Mm, I will. And Pidge… Thanks.”

Pidge was about to reply when a loud banging startled them.

“Lance,” Keith basically yelled. “I know you’re in there. I just wanted to say that you are the best strategist this team has and that we would be completely lost without you and your plans. You never fail to impress me every time you come up with some ingenious idea so yeah. That's all… Good night.”

Pidge and Lance turned to each other in complete shock as they heard Keith walk away, but Pidge was the first to break the silence.

“He sure knows how to make a compliment sound like an insult, huh?”

* * *

 

“You knit well.”

Lance jumped from his seat and looked up to see Keith peering down at him. Wiping his mouth, Lance muttered, “Uh, thanks.”

Merely nodding in response, Keith walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself some goo. Shiro stared after Keith for a moment before sliding over to Lance and whispering, “Did I miss something?”

“No, Keith is just being weird as usual,” Lance whispered back.

“This seems like a different type of weird though,” Shiro said, still unconvinced.

Lance was about to explain what happened last night when Keith walked back into the room and said, “Oh and I think it’s nice that you put so much effort into your skin care. You smell nice and it’s kind of comforting to have a sense of normalcy after being thrown into an intergalactic war.”

With that, Keith took his breakfast and left the dining room.

Looking from Lance’s bright red face to Keith’s retreating back, Shiro mumbled, “Definitely a different type of weird.”

* * *

 

The compliments didn’t stop for the rest of the day. At first, it had surprised everyone else as much as it had Shiro and Pidge, but after a few hours everyone was almost anticipating what compliment Keith would throw at Lance next.

“I think Lance should take lead on one of our prelim missions to potential ally planets. He’s has a charismatic personality and a kind heart. He would make a great diplomat.”

“Did you know Lance can dance the entirety of the _Single Ladies_ choreography? I laughed for like two minutes straight when he performed it for us. He has nice hips and he’s funny to boot.”

“I like hanging out with Lance. He might be obnoxious sometimes but he’s so perceptive to when people are feeling down. One time he knew I had a stomachache before I even knew. Can you believe it?”

“Sometimes Lance plays with the space mice and shares stories about Earth with them. It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

And they had also gotten used to Lance’s inevitable blush and immediate denial before he stormed out of whatever room they were in. But it was so endearing to see Lance so obviously embarrassed that everyone started joining Keith in on the fun.

“Lance!” Allura called. “Thanks for teaching me about the diversity of Earthlings and their ‘countries.’ It’s honestly such a fascinating divide. You’re so knowledgeable about Earth history.”

“You’re really getting much better at sparring. I never expected you to be such a quick learner,” Shiro said amicably as he passed Lance in the corridor.

Pidge popped her head around the corner of the training room and yelled, “Have you ever thought about being a teacher? I think your attention to detail and care for others would make you really suited for the job. Plus, you’re fun to be around.” Lance promptly took a gladiator fist to the face.

“We still get messages from the Tafalkian children you took care of when you got trapped in that mine. They want to know how you’re doing. Those kids really love you. They said that they didn’t feel scared for a second because you were with them,” Coran said over dinner.

Hunk had to roughly pat Lance on the back so he would stop choking on his dinner, but not before adding, “Thanks for always being willing to try my newest food creations and for letting me ramble on about Marie Curie. You still remember all the little factoids I tell you even if you don’t find them personally interesting. You never invalidate my interests and you’re the best friend I could ever ask for.”

Lance gave his friend a betrayed look before pushing himself away from the dinner table and yelling, “That’s it! I’m going back to my room and avoiding all you liars for the rest of my life.” Lance started to walk away but Keith stood up too and trotted after him.

“Lance, wait.”

Speeding up, Lance shouted, “GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Keith sped up with him as they ran out of the dining room together, looks of amusement following them out. “You are so caring and generous with your time. I learned what a family was like from hanging out witmmfff,” Keith’s words were muffled by Lance’s jacket being abruptly thrown at his face.

“Would you shut your quiznak already?!” Lance spluttered angrily as he struggled to hide his blush behind his sleeve.

But Keith was undeterred. Shaking off Lance’s jacket, he continued to chase after Lance shouting, “The little things you do for people don’t go unnoticed. Shiro knows when you put a blanket over him when he falls asleep in the control room. Coran knows you are learning programming from Pidge so you can help debug Alfor. Hunk knows that when you’re chatting up the locals, you’re doing it so you can help him get more new parts and ingredients for the ship. Pidge knows that when you roam around the castle, you’re looking for Rover with the detector she made. Allura knows that when you flirt with her at parties, you’re trying to stop creepy ambassadors from hitting on her and making her have to deal with the awkward diplomacy. You think you can sneak all this stuff by us? We’re not dumb, Lance!”

Turning around mid-sprint, Lance shouted back, “I never said you were! But you said that I was!”

Quickening his pace, Keith said, “I was _trying_ to say that you were stupid for thinking you have something to prove with us. You don’t!”

“I’m not trying to prove anything!” Lance protested as he rounded the corner.

“Yes you are!! You have a good heart, which is why you protect others so willingly but it’s getting out of hand. You’re trying too hard to be a good Paladin, but newsflash you’ve been the best Paladin since day one. If we didn’t have you, we never would’ve never activated Blue, never gotten to Arusia, never met Allura and Coran, and Earth would’ve been destroyed by Zarkon.”

“Stop lying to make me feel better, Keith. I don’t need this pity party,” Lance spat back. “Blue would’ve chosen one of you if I wasn’t there. It didn’t have to be me.”

Keith nearly stumbled over in shock. “You really think Blue would’ve picked any of us over you? Hunk, the giant mass of nerves? Pidge, who likes robots better than humans? Shiro, who hadn’t interacted with another living thing without fighting them to the death for an entire year? ME???” Lance snorted at that before quickly covering it up with a scowl, but Keith knew he had gotten to him. “Please, Blue would’ve never picked any of us if we were the last hope the universe had. And that’s true for all the lions. Respect Blue’s choice a little more.”

Lance slowed down suddenly, making Keith crash into his back. Quietly he asked, “How do I know you’re not just saying this because you think it’s what I want?”

Keith rested his face on Lance’s shoulder and whispered, voice laced with affection, “Because it’s what I want. These are all the things I’ve wanted to say to you but have never had the courage to. Do you want to hear more? I could keep going forever.”

“Keith…”

But Keith only wrapped his arms around Lance and said, “I like your singing voice a lot. I never really paid attention to music back on Earth, but you keep it alive for us out here when you sing. It makes me nostalgic and I know the others appreciate your talent for memorizing lyrics too. I hate how I always give into your pointless goading into stupid shit, but you also challenge me to be a better fighter and a better person. You make me laugh at unexpected moments but when I need it most. I like how soft your hair is and I pretend to be angry so I can ruffle your head and touch it. I wish I could think as quickly as you. I always act without thinking, which I accused you of doing, but honestly you can come up with the best game plan so much faster than I could ever hope to do. I like the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh and the way you purse your lips when you’re concentrating on what someone else is saying. When you talk about your family, the look you have on your face is so loving that it makes me want to cry out of missing something I’ve never even had. But then you got hurt this badly and I missed you so much and I realized I know now how you feel about your family. It hurts when you’re gone. I hate the thought of not being able to see you anymore and having to live the rest of my life without you next to me. Lance, I think I might be in lo—“

“Stop,” Lance said abruptly, startling Keith. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Lance wouldn’t let him get the words out.

Turning his face slightly in an attempt to get a better look at Lance’s face, Keith said angrily, “No, Lance. I’m not lying. You _have_ to believe me and I have important stuff to say to you and you’re going to listen.”

“That’s not it,” Lance murmured. “It’s just if you say all this stuff while clinging to me like this _plus_ if you’re about to say what I think you’re going to say… I think I might just up and die right here and honestly I really, really, _really_ want to stay alive so I can hear more. So could we like, maybe take a break or something so my brain can catch up?”

Keith hastily broke away from Lance’s back which suddenly felt a lot hotter than it did before. “Oh. Uh sure. That’s… Yeah, that’s fine. A break.” Memories of what he had been saying suddenly rushed into Keith’s thoughts and all the residual embarrassment that he had been squashing down out of pure spite bubbled back to the surface. As he put his face between his hands, he had a brief moment of satisfaction when he realized that the theory he had read about spontaneous human combustion was probably about to be proven true right this second.

Lance turned around, looking as red as Keith felt, but when they locked eyes he flashed that devilish grin Keith had missed so much.

“Oh?” he said inquisitively as he inched closer to Keith. “You know the main reason why I didn’t believe you was because you barely even flinched whenever you complimented me when the usual you can barely even tell me I ‘didn’t do that bad’ without having an aneurysm.” It was Keith’s turn to back away as Lance got ever closer. “Hm, but now I see. You worked really hard huh? Can’t say I don’t appreciate it but let me take over for now.”

“What happened to taking a break?” Keith squeaked.

Lance tapped his chin pensively before shrugging. “Changed my mind. Breaks are for the weak and you aren’t weak are you Keith?”

“Of course not!” Keith retorted more out of instinct than actual anger.

“Oh now _there’s_ the Keith I know,” Lance said with a chuckle before sobering and smiling sweetly. “And the Keith I love.”

Covering his face, Keith grumbled, “You’re such an asshole. I can’t believe you beat me to it. You cheated.”

“All’s fair in love and war. And we’re in love in the middle of a war so let’s just say all bets are off. Everything’s fair here, babe,” Lance teased.

Keith’s ears felt as if they were on fire. “Why are you _calling_ me that?!”

Backing Keith into the wall, Lance touched their noses together, “What? You’re allowed to shower an embarrassing amount of compliments on me for 24 hours and I can’t even call you babe?”

Shuddering, Keith whimpered, “Lance, stop.”

“Whatever you say,” Lance said tenderly. “I just hope you’re prepared for what happens when I stop talking.”

“What are you talki—mmff,” Keith’s words were cut off by the urgent press of Lance’s lips against his. Lance pushed himself further against Keith and traced his fingers lightly across Keith’s cheek, making him tremble. Tangling his fingers into Lance’s hair, Keith tugged his face even closer as if he believed if they tried hard enough, they could create enough heat to melt into one another. In response Lance hitched his fingers into Keith’s belt loops and used his thumbs to caress the skin just above Keith’s jeans, earning himself a tiny moan. A shiver ran down Lance’s spine and he thought to himself, _Just who is being unfair again?_

Lifting Keith up against the wall, Lance felt his head spin as Keith’s legs tightened around his waist. Lance’s hands roamed to Keith’s ass to hold him up but he couldn’t resist giving an experimental squeeze. The yelp of surprise that escaped Keith’s mouth initially startled Lance but after a second he started giggling into their kiss.

Keith wasn’t sure if he should be offended, but when he felt Lance’s laughter reverberate into the back of his skull, suddenly he was laughing too. Their uncontrollable smiles made it difficult to continue kissing but they made up for it with playful pecks on each other’s cheeks and necks. Even when they had fallen into a pile on the floor because Lance’s legs still hadn’t fully recovered from their recent injuries, they still managed to stay in a tangled mess of limbs, hysterical laughter, and tender kisses.

“Hey Lance,” Keith said after they had stopped laughing long enough to catch their breaths. “Just so you know, I love you too.”

“Oh gee, really? Couldn’t tell from the cheesy romance poem you basically recited to me twenty min—OW!” Lance rubbed his side where Keith had jabbed his elbow in. “Why is everyone so rough on a recovering patient?”

“Because you make it so easy,” Keith deadpanned.

Kissing the tip of Keith’s nose, Lance said, “But actually Keith, you didn’t need to say anything.” Lance smiled fondly. “I know already.”

Keith squished Lance’s face between his hands and muttered, “Could you get it through your thick skull that I want to say this shit? No one’s making me say anything.”

“You’re right. Sorry,” Lance said through his squished cheeks.

Laughing again, Keith said, “Of course I’m right.” Sighing he nestled into the crook of Lance’s neck and muttered, “Just wait until Blue sees you now. It’s going to know everything and probably won’t stop making fun of us for the rest of our lives.”

Lance’s head knocked against Keith’s in surprise as he asked, “Wait, since when are you friendly with Blue?” Keith mumbled something unintelligible and Lance leaned down more and asked, “What?”

“I said ever since it comforted me crying over your unconscious body and called me your mate,” Keith admitted through gritted teeth.

“Your what?!”

“Apparently we’re bonded, okay?! Because I found it first. So I would talk to it sometimes when you were in the healing pod because it reminds me of you and I missed your voice,” Keith said with a pout.

Lance didn’t know what to be more shocked by, but after a while he said teasingly, “Seems like Blue and I also have similar taste in partners.”

Keith suddenly shot up and looked down at Lance. “I’m not saying that it would’ve rather had me as a paladin, you know. It made it pretty clear that it and Red have completely different requirements for paladins and then it basically proceeded to rant about how Red is such a poser. Always testing its paladins and pretending to be cold and uncaring when it really gives like a thousand shits about everything and— What?”

Lance just kept staring at Keith with amusement. “Nothing, I was just thinking that Red sounds awfully familiar.” Pressing a kiss onto Keith’s lips, Lance continued, “And don’t worry, Blue and I are tight. Nothing can come between us, even my mate.”

Keith protested, “Just a minute ago you were spewing nonsense about how Blue would’ve just chosen any one of us as its paladin and now you’re pretending like that never happened and also you’re calling me your mate?!”

Lance chuckled again but confessed, “You know you were right… about me trying to prove myself, I mean. I was being reckless and stupid trying to convince myself that I was worthy of being a part of this team. I thought you were all so talented and special and I was just, well, me.” He brought a hand up to Keith’s face and stroked it affectionately. “But then you of all people started literally chasing me down to tell me how special I was, so if someone as great as you thinks I'm great too... It has to be true right? So thank you. I needed to hear those things.”

Pressing their foreheads together, Keith said, “I’ll say them every day if you need me to.”

Lance brightened and his signature swagger returned. “Really, can we actually make it an hourly thing? And tell everyone else too? Honestly, people could stand to mention how much they appreciate me more.” Keith rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Lance brought their lips together again. “Or we can just replace that with hourly make-out sessions. Your choice.”

“Would you quit it already?” Keith grumbled into their kiss.

“Sorry, buddy. You’ll have to put up with me for the rest of your life.”

Despite himself, Keith gave a content smile and pulled Lance closer. “Sounds like a plan.”

**Author's Note:**

> That was so much longer I intended (literally what I say after every fic I s2g) but you know what JAMMY DESERVES IT SO HERE *throws this mess at you* HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY DUDE!!!! You're the bomb diggity. Sorry it's kind of late in your time zone but it's still your birthday in mine! And season 2 will be out soon so DOUBLE WAMMY BIRTHDAY PRESENT.
> 
> Hope this is enough Lance lovin for all of you (tbh tho it's not enough for me and I wrote the damn thing but I love Lance so much I don't think I'd ever be satisfied). This also feels cheesy as fuq but like whoooo caaarrreess
> 
> Also I am SO SO SOOS SOOOO sorry for not finishing my ongoing fic. Real life kind of took over with exam season and holiday season and then mARKING exams and there's a lot of projects I have that are backed up that have real deadlines that need to be met so that's been put on the backburner for the foreseeable future. I'M SORRY. Your constant support gives me life thank you so much. You're the best.


End file.
